Diarrhea one year after surgery

snakebite64
snakebite64 Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My husband had rectal cancer 1 1/2 years ago. He had a stage III tumor removed, 4 of the 19 lymph nodes had cancer cells but his liver "looked okay". He started chemo but after 8 treatments, he quit. He has been feeling great. He began taking synthroid about 5 months ago because his hormones were a bit off balance but had no symptoms before and while taking it. He ran out of it about a week ago and hasn't refilled it (hard headed). He started having diarrhea immediately after and has 8 to 10 bouts a day. He has an appointment with his doc next week but he is highly concerned about the cancer. Could the diarrhea have anything whatsoever to do with his sudden discontinuance of synthroid or is he right to be concerned about the cancer? He is a young 67 and in great shape, 6', 180 lbs., and has no other symptoms other than his growling bowels. He has rarely been sick in his life and that's the reason he stopped chemo because he was so sick from it. He said his quality of life was much more important than his quantity of years. He's the type person that is not afraid of dying and lives his life fully every day.

Comments

  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #2
    diarrhea?
    Could diarrhea be a sign of recurrence? Yes, I think so. Could it just be a consequence of having a reconfigured colon+rectum? Yes, I think so. Summary: I have no idea what your husband's diarrhea means. I had an LAR operation for rectal cancer 3 and a half years ago, and my bowels don't work quite as well as they did previously (I do have a some diarrhea occasionally), but I've had no recurrence. If your husband has been careful about follow up exams (at least a colonoscopy after a year and CEA tests every few months), my layman's opinion is that the diarrhea is no great cause for concern. If he hasn't been careful, all bets are off, and you've got to get him to the doctor soon and from now on for reqular exams. For those of us who have had rectal cancer, not being afraid of dying is not a reasonable excuse to avoid regular follow up diagnostics to catch a recurrence early and deal with it.

    Greg
  • snakebite64
    snakebite64 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    PGLGreg said:

    diarrhea?
    Could diarrhea be a sign of recurrence? Yes, I think so. Could it just be a consequence of having a reconfigured colon+rectum? Yes, I think so. Summary: I have no idea what your husband's diarrhea means. I had an LAR operation for rectal cancer 3 and a half years ago, and my bowels don't work quite as well as they did previously (I do have a some diarrhea occasionally), but I've had no recurrence. If your husband has been careful about follow up exams (at least a colonoscopy after a year and CEA tests every few months), my layman's opinion is that the diarrhea is no great cause for concern. If he hasn't been careful, all bets are off, and you've got to get him to the doctor soon and from now on for reqular exams. For those of us who have had rectal cancer, not being afraid of dying is not a reasonable excuse to avoid regular follow up diagnostics to catch a recurrence early and deal with it.

    Greg

    Thanks
    Thanks, Greg, for your comments. Unfortunately, he is stubborn and in denial. He hasn't had another colonoscopy even though I begged him to. I'm at my wits end with his laissez-faire attitude about this whole thing. We've only be together for 3 years and married less than 6 months and I'm not ready to lose him. His attitude is that he has lived a wonderfully good and full life and I was the only reason he started the chemo in the first place. I think this has scared him a little and he is at least going to the doctor this week. He seems to think if he ignores it, it will go away! After what I saw him going through, I immediately got a colonoscopy and, thankfully, I had zero problems. You and I know that a lack of fear of dying is not a reasonable excuse. Now if I can just convince him!

    Trish
  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #4
    Doctor
    Good he is going to the doctor. Your body does get used to a lot of the medications, and abruptly stopping some meds can be very disruptive to your system, that is something the doctor needs to be talked to about. There are some meds that you need to be gradually weaned off, I don't know about the synthroid. Like I said, he needs to see the doctor, all that diarrhea is hard on you and dehydrating and so on. Hope it's just a reaction from just stopping his prescription and good luck to you both.
    Pam
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #5
    snakebite64 said:

    Thanks
    Thanks, Greg, for your comments. Unfortunately, he is stubborn and in denial. He hasn't had another colonoscopy even though I begged him to. I'm at my wits end with his laissez-faire attitude about this whole thing. We've only be together for 3 years and married less than 6 months and I'm not ready to lose him. His attitude is that he has lived a wonderfully good and full life and I was the only reason he started the chemo in the first place. I think this has scared him a little and he is at least going to the doctor this week. He seems to think if he ignores it, it will go away! After what I saw him going through, I immediately got a colonoscopy and, thankfully, I had zero problems. You and I know that a lack of fear of dying is not a reasonable excuse. Now if I can just convince him!

    Trish

    Stubbornness.
    That sounds familiar -- I'm capable of being pretty stubborn, too. Well, I suggest you accept any excuse he offers, so long as he goes to the doctor. Make appointments for him, and manage him as best you can.

    Greg
  • snakebite64
    snakebite64 Member Posts: 4
    #6
    PamPam2 said:

    Doctor
    Good he is going to the doctor. Your body does get used to a lot of the medications, and abruptly stopping some meds can be very disruptive to your system, that is something the doctor needs to be talked to about. There are some meds that you need to be gradually weaned off, I don't know about the synthroid. Like I said, he needs to see the doctor, all that diarrhea is hard on you and dehydrating and so on. Hope it's just a reaction from just stopping his prescription and good luck to you both.
    Pam

    Doc doesn't seem concerned
    He went to the doctor last week and the doctor doesn't seem to think it's anything related to the cancer. He started taking Flagyl, Cipro, Lomotil plus Culturelle and is supposed to be lactose free for two weeks. If not better by today, he was to return. However, the diarrhea has greatly subsided and he is pretty much diarrhea free although he's pretty run down by all the meds. This, of course, will renew his resolve not to have a follow-up colonoscopy but I'm pushing very hard for him to follow through on his promise to get this done. We are going on vacation in a couple of weeks but after that - back to the doctor to set it up.

    Something really bothers me, though. Before he went to the doctor, he was obviously very worried that something was severely wrong and he, again, discussed with me the fact that he can't live with a colostomy or if the cancer has spread. I asked him if his life was so miserable that it's not worth living with the inconvenience of a colostomy or to get further treatment. We have only been together for 3 years and married for 6 months and he seems so blissfully happy but he says he can't live with the humiliation of a colostomy or the illness of further treatment. He said it's his decision. I don't really know what to think of that. I told him that was pretty cowardly and to think about how I would feel. He just gets angry about it and insists it's his decision. Has anyone else felt this way or had a loved one react this way?
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #7
    snakebite64 said:

    Doc doesn't seem concerned
    He went to the doctor last week and the doctor doesn't seem to think it's anything related to the cancer. He started taking Flagyl, Cipro, Lomotil plus Culturelle and is supposed to be lactose free for two weeks. If not better by today, he was to return. However, the diarrhea has greatly subsided and he is pretty much diarrhea free although he's pretty run down by all the meds. This, of course, will renew his resolve not to have a follow-up colonoscopy but I'm pushing very hard for him to follow through on his promise to get this done. We are going on vacation in a couple of weeks but after that - back to the doctor to set it up.

    Something really bothers me, though. Before he went to the doctor, he was obviously very worried that something was severely wrong and he, again, discussed with me the fact that he can't live with a colostomy or if the cancer has spread. I asked him if his life was so miserable that it's not worth living with the inconvenience of a colostomy or to get further treatment. We have only been together for 3 years and married for 6 months and he seems so blissfully happy but he says he can't live with the humiliation of a colostomy or the illness of further treatment. He said it's his decision. I don't really know what to think of that. I told him that was pretty cowardly and to think about how I would feel. He just gets angry about it and insists it's his decision. Has anyone else felt this way or had a loved one react this way?

    Ostomy
    I have an ileostomy now for two months and I don't feel my quality of life is diminished. Sure having cancer stinks and going through treatment stinks even more, but I remember watching the Farah Fawcett documentary a week ago and because of her vanity she didn't want to have a colostomy, nor chemo because her hair would fall out. To me, my ileostomy is a part of me getting better, and the radiation/chemo I had was a part of my journey toward recovery, and now my second round of chemo is what is needed to get me to NED. Sure it is your husband's decision, but I have a husband, children and grandchildren I want to see for many more years to come, so I am going to do my everything to get me cancer free.

    If you say your husband is stubborn, probably nothing you could say or do is going to change his mind. Only you reassuring him that you want his follow ups to happen because you love him so much and you don't want anything more to happen to him. May only then will he go in for the follow ups he should really have.

    Just my 2 cents. Good luck. Glad the doctor isn't concerned and things are getting better for him.

    Kim
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #8
    diarrhea
    It could be the drug that is causing the diarrhea. It is your husbands decision if he decides not to take chemo anymore. Sometimes the side effects are to much to tolerate. Maybe Farrah Fawcett isn't being vain when she declines having certain treatment. I myself know that if I was told I had breast cancer, I would not have a masectomy done. Each individual has to do what they feel they can deal with. Sometimes the cure is harder to live with than the actual cancer.
  • snakebite64
    snakebite64 Member Posts: 4
    #9
    tiny one said:

    diarrhea
    It could be the drug that is causing the diarrhea. It is your husbands decision if he decides not to take chemo anymore. Sometimes the side effects are to much to tolerate. Maybe Farrah Fawcett isn't being vain when she declines having certain treatment. I myself know that if I was told I had breast cancer, I would not have a masectomy done. Each individual has to do what they feel they can deal with. Sometimes the cure is harder to live with than the actual cancer.

    Thanks for your thoughts
    Thank you for your thoughts on this. To be honest, it's really affected me to know he doesn't want to continue to live if something "major" happens. I think I've lost a little of how I have felt about him knowing he doesn't want to fight to continue our lives together. Perhaps I'm being selfish for wanting him to stay around for awhile longer even though he says he would be too humiliated. I don't think he realizes that thousands of people live almost perfectly normal lives after treatment. Guess I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

    Thanks again.

    Trish
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #10
    snakebite64 said:

    Thanks for your thoughts
    Thank you for your thoughts on this. To be honest, it's really affected me to know he doesn't want to continue to live if something "major" happens. I think I've lost a little of how I have felt about him knowing he doesn't want to fight to continue our lives together. Perhaps I'm being selfish for wanting him to stay around for awhile longer even though he says he would be too humiliated. I don't think he realizes that thousands of people live almost perfectly normal lives after treatment. Guess I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

    Thanks again.

    Trish

    fighting
    I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in Feb 07. I had one lymph node that tested positive. I woke up from surgery with a temporary ileostomy. I went thru chemo and radiation and then more chemo. I had my reversal Dec of 07. My bag was on 10 months. I am cancer free now. I have had alot of problems with frequent bathroom issues and alot of soreness and pain since my reversal. I am seriously considering having the bag put back. There is nothing to be afraid of with an ostomy, no reason to be humiliated, it just take getting used to. He would be surprised when he met survivors who have a bag how active they are and if we didn't tell you we had the bag you'd never know. I have a son in Iraq now, all of what I've went thru is nothing compared to what our Soldiers go thru. I choose to do whatever it takes to be here to support my son and my husband who has been great and is my number one support. Your husband is a survivor and a Warrior. I'm dealing with side effects I don't like but as long as I can do what I love to do{gardening, Branson, traveling} and have good days I will fight. The day my Son said his I Do's before he was deployed was worth it all. Find a good support group for you and your husband it will be helpful to you both. Forgot to add I went thru chemo with very few side effects, some tolerate one chemo more than others.

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